Is Fulani Herdsmen Menace in Nigeria an Act of Terrorism?

Abstract

Of recent, the Fulani herdsmen have been on rampage, destroying and killing people in many states. Due to this precarious situation, there has been a burning question as to whether or not the menace of the Fulani herdsmen can be classified as terrorism. This question has become the burning issue in major political, legal and academic forum. This paper is aimed at addressing this trending question. In fact the analysis in this paper is aimed at unveiling the issue regarding the true classification of Fulani herdsmen. The findings in this paper are that religious, tribal sentiments and government lip service to the fight against terrorism have prevented the prosecution of Fulani herdsmen engaged in obvious acts of terrorism. Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 are the two extant laws on the subject matter. This paper analysed the menace of the Fulani herdsmen, whether or not their wanton killings and nefarious acts fall within the ambit of the law. The doctrinal method of research was adopted and the approach used is the analytical approach. The data used in this research are basically primary sources and secondary sources, with internet materials forming a fulcrum of materials used. It is recommended in this paper that the appropriate authorities need to treat the menace of Fulani herdsmen as acts of terrorism and that open grazing should be criminalized.